Dark Secrets
by hitomi07
Summary: Every family has their own skeletons to hide in their closets. The Malfoy’s have a dark secret that they’ve been keeping for centuries and so do the Zabini’s. How does a muggleborn witch fit in the picture?


Disclaimer: (This goes for the whole story) I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. They are owned by JK Rowling; though, I own the plot.

Prologue:

It was a dark, rainy night when a baby boy was born to the Zabini's. All were overwhelmed as well as, deeply worried. The close friends of the Zabini's are all there except for the Malfoy's, who were still at home, nursing their three month old son, Draco. Though, the Parkinson's, the Bulstrode's, the Nott's, the Crabbe's, and the Goyle's were there to show their support for the Zabini's despite the fact that their own wives are almost due too. All was going as well as they expected. Though what they didn't expect was the birth of another baby girl in the Zabini household.

"Another baby? A girl, you say?" Bradford Zabini asked the healer who helped Melissa Zabini deliver their first born, as he sat at his study. All their friends have left, promising that they would call on Melissa the next morning. They had left Melissa to rest and asked the nursemaids to take care of the new born babies.

"Yes, Mr. Zabini, a baby girl and a very lovely one at that." The healer replied smiling sweetly. Suddenly, a man with blonde hair stepped out from the shadows. It was Lucius Malfoy, Brad's most trusted comrade since their Hogwarts days.

"_Petrificus Totalus"_ the cold voice said and the healer was petrified.

"Lucius! What do you think are you doing?" Bradford asked startled. The other man rolled his eyes and looked pointedly at him.

"Really, Brad, I expected more from you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bradford asked confused. 'What the hell is he doing here anyway? I thought he decided to stay with his family tonight?' he thought to himself, though he didn't voice out his thoughts.

"Blimely, Brad, are you really that thick?" Lucius said haughtily. "Do you think the Dark Lord would allow you to let your daughter live without serving him? He is expecting Blaise to be a Death Eater already! He doesn't know of your daughter…yet. And once he knew of her existence, he would want her to serve him and you know what that means."

'He's right.' Brad thought with a shudder. He wouldn't let his daughter become a Death Eater. Not when he knew he could have saved her from being one. He looked up at his best friend. "You're right. I can't let her serve him when I know I could've stopped it" he told him seriously as he stood. "Perform a Memory Charm on her. I have to talk to Melissa."

Lucius groaned. "Not now, you dolt! You're going to upset her and she might fall ill because of it! I can't even start imagining how Narcissa would berate me for 'manipulating' you, as she so eloquently put it, to do something!"

Brad smiled hollowly at Lucius. He was never at the end of Narcissa's wrath but that didn't mean he didn't know what Narcissa was capable of doing. She could even be more intimidating than Lucius if she chose to. "I guess you're right." He answered tiredly.

Lucius rolled his eyes and said, "I'm always right" then, his features softened. Sometimes, Brad would wonder how Lucius could mask all his feelings. But then, he decided he was much alike with Lucius in that aspect. "Why don't you go and rest. I'm sure you feel pretty much tired. Don't worry; I'll take care of the healer." Brad gave a nod in response before he turned to leave. As he was starting to walk out, he remembered something.

"I forgot to ask you, how is Draco fairing?" He asked as he turned to Lucius. The other smiled at him. A genuine smile, which he reserved for special occasions. Brad was already starting to think that having a son would loosen Lucius up and soften him a bit.

"He's doing great. In fact, he's already showed a sign of magic. Though, that is highly predictable, since he came from two old Wizarding families, I didn't expect it to be this early." Lucius chuckled as he remembered the incident. "Earlier, Draco's nursemaid was trying to feed him some milk but Draco didn't want any. So, to let his nursemaid stop, he set her hair on fire."

Brad shook his head, smiling. "No wonder, you sound happy. He's much like you. I can imagine how Narcissa reacted." Brad chuckled at his friend's obvious discomfort.

"Narcissa was enraged when Draco showed signs of becoming me. She said she wouldn't have his son doing all 'those stupid things' I did back at Hogwarts." Lucius snorted in response. They had a heated argument before he came at the Zabini Manor and he had to kiss her to shut her up. "Just go to bed."

"Good night, Lucius" Brad said as he went out.

"Yeah, sure" came the muffled reply.

It was a month after Melissa gave birth to the twins and she has fully recovered. The couple sat at Brad's study. They were deciding on their next step.

"We can't just give away our daughter! I want her to grow up in our care, I want her to grow up knowing that there's a family who loves her!" Melissa screamed crying, begging her husband to not take away their daughter.

"To grow up in our care, knowing her family loves her" Brad snarled furious. Why can't she understand how difficult it is for him too? "To what, Melissa? To what? To grow up and become a Death Eater and a killer? Is that what you want?!"

Melissa took a step backward. She's never seen her husband this mad at her. They have arguments, yes, but he never got mad at her like this. "Of course, I don't! I just want her to be with me! She's my daughter and yours too! She has to claim her birthright!"

Brad seemed to have regained some of his composure since his voice was even when he spoke. "She will claim her birthright when she comes of age. For the mean time, take advantage of the time you have left with her. I'll find a Muggle family who will take care of her as if she were their own."

"You'll give her to Muggles?" she asked indignant. Brad spun around at this, furious.

"I'm not giving her away! I'm trying to protect her! Why can't you understand that?" he said frustrated.

"There has to be another way."

"There is no other way."

"There's always another way!"

"I'm sorry we have to do this." Brad said despair seeping through his whole body as he sat.

"I wish this was over. I wish Gabriella doesn't have to leave." She said as she slumped at the couch giving way to the despair she felt. Brad stood and took his wife into his arms.

"It'll be alright. We'll get past all this, I promise." Brad said not believing a word he's saying. 'Merlin, help us'

Brad stood in front of a Muggle home, holding his daughter in his arms. He had just performed an intricate glamour spell. He didn't want the Dark Lord to put the pieces together and figure out that he didn't really support him. He took up his courage and knocked at the door. A rather gangly man opened the door and was surprised to see him.

"Can I help you, sir?" the man asked politely. Brad handed him his daughter and the man took her surprised.

"Please take care of her" he said sadly at the man and took a necklace with a serpent with an emerald for a pendant from his cloak and gave it to the man. "Give it to her when she's seventeen." And with that, he turned to leave. He left his daughter to a total stranger and when she comes of age, he knew she'll be a stranger to him too. He didn't ask for the man's name in fear that the Dark Lord would discover their secret despite his skill in Legimency. His only identification of her is her necklace where the name, Gabriella Hildegarde Zabini is engraved; there, he had put an intricate protecting spell, in case it fell to the wrong hands. He went home with the hope that one day, he'll meet his daughter again and she'll reunite with them. He just hoped that she'll forgive him for having her adopted and for taking the Dark Lord's side.


End file.
